title: Increased transforming growth factor-beta1 plasma concentration is associated with high plasma 3,3',5'-tri-iodothyronine in elderly patients with nonthyroidal illnesses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) plasma concentrations in elderly patients with nonthyroidal illnesses (NTI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured plasma concentrations of tri-iodothyronine (T3), reverse T3 (rT3), thyroxine (T4), free T3 (fT3) and free T4 (fT4) estimates, TSH, and TGF-beta1 in 48 elderly NTI patients consecutively admitted in our Division of Internal Medicine and Metabolic Diseases, and in 11 healthy age- and sex-matched controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The data on thyroid hormones enabled us to identify three groups: Group A, subjects (8 patients) with T3 and fT3 levels comparable to those in controls: Group B, subjects (30 patients) with T3 and fT3 levels lower than controls but rT3 levels comparable to those of controls; Group C, subjects (10 patients) with T3 and fT3 levels lower than those of controls and higher rT3 levels. The patients of Group C showed higher plasma levels of TGF-beta1 compared with controls. Moreover, we found a positive correlation between TGF-beta1 and rT3 (rs = 0.38, P < 0.01) in the whole group of NTI patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data seem to confirm the hypothesis that TGF-beta1 could play a role in the pathogenesis of some modifications of thyroid function observed in patients with nonthyroidal illnesses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Messina, Policlinico Universitario, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Corica
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Allegra
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Corsonello
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buemi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rubino
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonanzinga
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruello
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ceruso
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D012016:Reference Values; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000097:blood*; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood*; D014285:Triiodothyronine, Reverse / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D014285:Triiodothyronine, Reverse